Alfred swan



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SVAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE INSULITE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, NYY.

ELECTRIC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,363, dated October 28, 1890. Application tiled March 5, 1889. Serial No. 301,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SWAN, a subject of the Queen of England, residing at Orange, county of Essex, and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamps, which are fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of theA same.

zo This invention relates to improvements in sockets `or holders for incandescent electric lamps, it being the object of the invention to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of such holders.

r 5 An understanding of the invention can only be given by an illustration and a detailed description of a holder embodying the same, and therefore all preliminary description of the invention will be omitted and a full dezo Scription given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of an ordinary incandescent electric lamp attached to a holder constructed according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the holder, taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating the manner of supporting the shade. Fig. 4 illustrates the construction of the key or circuit 3o maker and breaker employed when it is desired to provide the holder with means for lighting and extinguishing the light. Figs 5 and 6 illustrate the construction of the covering and supporting cap.

Referring to said figures, it is to be understood that A represents an incandescent electric lamp of substantially the ordinary form; a, the carbon filament, which is connected to wires 2 3 in the usual manner. The wire 3 4o connects with a metallic band 4, which encircles the base of the lamp in substantially the usual manner, while the wire 2 is connected to a metallic contact-plug 5, which is embedded in the plastic material 6, which covers the base of the lamp and holds the band 4 in position, the plug 5 being insulated from the band 4 by the material 6.

The holder B may be of any suitable form, but will preferably be substantially round in 5o cross-section and tapered from its base to its top, so as to be of approximately the form of a truncated cone. The holder is made of plastic material--such, for example, as papier-mach-which can readily be molded to the desired form, and which is also a non-conductor 5 5 of electricity. The holder is provided in its base with a socket 7 of sufiicient size to re` ceive that portion of the base of the lamp surrounded by the band 4.

The lamp is held in position in the holder by means of a threaded projection or nipple S, formed upon the plug 5, which enters a correspondingly-threaded socket 9, seated in the plastic material of the holder within the socket?. The socket 9 is provided with an 65 opening, which communicates with a vertical duct 10, passing upward through the holder, and through which one of the Awires 12 13, which constitute the circuit for the lamp, passes, so as to enter the socket 9 and be bound 7o therein by a plug 27, which screws into the' socket andv is abutted against by the projection or nipple 3 of the plug 5 when the lamp is introduced into the holder, thereby establishing connection between the wire 2 of the 75 lamp and the wire 12 of the circuit. The wire 13 of the circuit passes through a duct 14, formed in the material of the holder, and enters a recess 15, which opens laterally out at the side of the holder and is connected to a binding-screw 16, which passes through a metal block 28 and the holder, so as to enter the socket 7 and abut against and form contact with the band 4 when the lamp is in position, thereby establishing connection between the wire 13 of the circuit and the wire 3 of the lamp. The-block 2S is provided with a countersink to receive the head of the screw 16, as showin thereby permitting the screw to be advanced slightly-varying distances to secure perfect contact with the band 4 and the wire 13. It will be seen that by this means the lamp is secured very firmly in the holder, so that it cannot be detached therefrom by A jarring or accident, nor can it be loosened 95 sufliciently to break the circuit, and thus eX- tinguish the light. The connection formed between the wires 12 2 by the screw-plug is of course a very reliable connection, and cannot be broken until the plug is entirely unroo screwed from the socket 9. The unscrewing of the plug from the socket is absolutely prevented by means ot' the binding-screw 1G, which when the lamp is in position abuts against the band 4, so as to form electrical contact at that point between the wires 13 3 and at the same time prevent the lamp from being turned in the socket.

As illustrated, the holder is of that class which is designed for a hanging lamp, the holder being supported by the wires 12 13, which forni the circuit for the lamp. The holder is provided at its upper end with a metallic cap 17, which serves to support the holder and lamp, the wires being knotted immediately below the cap, and thus relieve the terminals of the wires from strain. If it is desired to adapt the holder to be connected to a chandelier or other rigid support, the opening in the cap 17 will be sufliciently enlarged to permit the holder to be screwed onto a pipe or other rigid support. The cap 17 may be extended to any desired extent, so as to cover the whole or any part of the holder. Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction of this character in which the cap 17 is extended so as to cover and conceal the plastic material of the holder. This will be desirable in some cases where it is desired to give a metallic appearance to the holder. The cap 17 may in this case be secured to the holder by one or more screws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or it may oe secured in the manner shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which case the cap is provided with a recess 3l, which receives the socket of the key 24, which socket is threaded upon its exterior, andis provided with a binding-nut 30, which can be screwed up against the cap, so as to hold it in position. In this way the screw 16 may be concealed..

The plastic material of the holder may be molded into a metallic shield or casing. If it is desired to adapt the holder to also support a shade, it can be readily done in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which case the holder is provided with a depending flange 1S, which may be integral with the body of the holder or may be a metallic ring set into the holder. This flange is provided with two or more studs 19, which project inward, so as to enter slots formed in a detachable ring 20, which fits inside the flange 18, and is secured thereto by means of the wellknown bayonet-joint formed by the studs 19 and the slots in the ring, as shown in Fig. 3. The ring 20 is provided at its lower edge with c a laterally-projecting flange, upon which rests the shade C. For the purpose of preventing the shade from rattling, there may be a springring 21 interposed between the holder and the shade.

The manner of assembling the parts is as follows: The ring 2O will be introduced through the central opening in the shade and the ring 21 placed upon the opposite side of the shade around the ring 20. The upper end of the ring 2O will then be introduced inside the flange 18 and locked in position by the bayonet-joints, as before explained. The lamp will then be screwed into the socket 9 until the projection or nipple 8 of the plug 5 abuts against the plug 27, so as t establish connection between the wires 2 12. The screw 16 will then be setl up against the band 4, so as to establish connection between the wires 13 3 and at the same time lock the lamp in the holder.

In those cases where it is desired to provide the holder with a circuit-breaker or key by which the circuit through the carbon lament can be made and broken, so as to light and extinguish the individual lamp, the screw 16 will be located somewhat higher on the holder and will serve to bind the wire 13 to a spring contact-point 22, which is arranged to be pressed inward against the band 4. Acting against the outside of the spring 22 is a stud 23, made of insulating material, which projects outward through the holder, and is provided with a suitable key or handle 24, by which it can be turn ed. The stud 23 is provided with one or more lateral projections 25, which act upon cam-surfaces 26 in such manner that when the key is turned to one position the stud will be moved inward, so as to press the spring 22 into contact with the band 4, while when the key is moved a quarterturn in either direction, so as to be at right angles to its original position, the spring will be permitted to move outward, so as to be removed from contact with the band, and thus break the circuit through the lamp and eX- tinguish it. Itis evident from this construction that the key may be rot-ated through an entire circle or through a half of a circle and then returned to position.

My application, Serial No. 301,841, filed March 5, 1889, and my application, Serial No. 308,056, filed April 22, 1889, are to be regarded as divisions of this application.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with an electric lamp having a threaded nipple S extending from its base, of the holder havingthe threaded socket 9 for receiving said nipple, a wire 12, entering the base of the holder, and a screwplug 27 for binding the wire to the holder, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the holder having the extending flange 18, of the ring 20, connected to the flange by a bayonet-joint, and the spring-ring 21 on the flange 18, substantially as described.

3. A holder for an incandescent lamp, having the contact-spring 22 connected to one wire of the circuit and arranged to be pressed into contact with-the outside of the side wall of the lamp-base to close the circuit through the lamp, and a longitudinally-moving stud 23 for operating the contact-spring, substantially as described.

4. The, combination, with the lamp having the metal band 4, forming the side of its base, of the contact-spring 22 connected to one IOO wire of the circuit and arranged to form con- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1o tact with the band 4, and the iongitudinailymy hand in the presence of tWo subscribing moving stud 23 for operating the contactwitnesses. spring, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the holder, its ALFRED SVAN. key, and key-socket, of the removable cap 17, fitting over and covering said holder, and the Vitnesses: nut 30 upon the key-socket for securing said T. H. PAL-MER, cap in position, substantially as described. I R. WOOD. 

